There are two different versions of this heatsink floating around the
web being reviewed. The first is the type you see below with a
silver body and copper fins. The other kind has a copper plated body and copper fins.
Visually they are different, but performance wise they should be just about identical.

This is also the second heatsink we have seen this
summer to use a fully aluminum fan - why manufacturers are doing this we
can't quite explain. There is really no thermal benefit of having an aluminum
framed fan. The only reason we have been able to think of is perhaps the heavier
weight of the copper based heatsinks are causing too many broken fans in
shipping. But even that is something which is usually centered around the
impeller, and not the outside frame... Well, in any event the Titan CU5TB uses a
silver coloured fan impeller on an extruded aluminum fan frame.

The fan is protected from errant fingers, or damage
during shipping by a wire fan grill. Wire fan grills are a lot better than those
laser cut one because they actually work, and cause almost no resistance to the
intake. The laser cut variety can restrict the amount of air the fan is able to
intake, that can decrease the effectiveness of the entire heatink by a few
degrees. Those types of grilles also look gimmicky.

The copper fins on the Titan
TTC-CU5TB stand out for two reasons. First off, the joint with the base is
flawless and very
smooth. This makes us wonder if perhaps grooves have been cut into the copper
plate and the fins fitted in before being brazed in place. This seems unlikely as
it would make the manufacturing process considerably more complex.

The best guess would be that the fins are simple
pressed to the surface of the copper base and then brazed into place where they
remain. Most other heatsinks using copper fins in this manner have a small one
or two millimeter tab which is actually used to space the fins and bond them to
the surface of the base.

The other reason the fins stand out are because of
the circular punched out area used to space them 2mm apart. With just
a quick glance you could be forgiven for thinking there
is a small heatpipe contained in that space. Of course, there is no
such apparatus on the TTC-CU5TB, but does certainly look that way.